When it comes to hosting any event, no matter the size, the devil is always in the details. And that goes for a book launch, too! Many authors nowadays can easily connect with their readers and audience virtually online. But it doesn’t eliminate the importance of connecting and sharing your work face-to-face with your readers at a book signing.
A book launch can be a daunting thing to organize, especially when you’re not always guaranteed to have a large turnout as a new or unknown author. That’s why organizing one can be more complex than many first-timers often realize. So help you boost your credibility and your turn out, here are a few ways to host a successful book launch.
Be Picky With Your Venue
The venue that you select is a crucial factor for hosting a successful book launch. When you’re sifting through your potential locations, it’s important to keep a few factors in mind. You want to make it as easy as possible for your audience and attendees to get to your selected spot, so always consider the location and whether it’s accessible. Also, there should be ample parking available. You should also look for a multi-purpose venue where they can easily section of space to make it more suitable for your event size. There’s nothing worse than having an awkward, oversized area when you’re expecting a smaller crowd.
Choose Your Timing Wisely
These days, people are busier than ever, trying to juggle their work, family, and everything in between. And although you can’t always plan for unforeseen events, you can try to pinpoint a time during the week and day that will give you the best chance of getting people to attend. Start by mulling it over and narrow down the date and time for hosting your book launch. Then contact your venue of choice to determine if this is indeed available. It’s also a good idea to ask the venue for their opinion since this is what they are experienced at, so they may actually have a better idea of what time and day may work best. When deciding this, also keep your genre and type of audience in mind since this will factor in with their availability. A good general timeframe to fall back on is Sunday afternoons since most people tend to leave them more open.
Sell Your Books & Serve Food
If you’re worried about the number of attendees, serving free food is always a great incentive to get people to show up. So ask if your venue will cater and serve food. This doesn’t have to be anything big and elaborate. Most good venues will offer in-house catering with menus that are suitable for lighter fare and smaller events such as this. Also, don’t forget to have some of your books on hand to sell at your book launch.
Start Promoting Early
If you only start to promote your event a week or so before the big date, chances are you won’t have a very good turn out. Start your promotions well in advance, at least a month before the launch. The more time you have to get the word out, the better chance you have at getting more people to attend.
Arrive Early
Make sure that on the day of the event, you arrive early to give yourself plenty of time to set up and get everything organized. There’s nothing worse than feeling rushed on an important day, so save yourself the added stress by giving yourself enough time, so you don’t have to rush.
At St. Elias Centre, we can help you create a smooth and successful book launch. Our multi-purpose venue in Ottawa can be adjusted to suit your event. Plus, we offer plenty of parking and in-house catering provided by our award-winning staff and executive chef. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you host your upcoming book launch.